The Blessed Ones
by kimmyAllen
Summary: The world had suffered a great loss. Humanity faces extinction, and a group has risen to avoid that, a group known for their harsh, controlling ways. Makoto has now fallen into their hands, what lies in front of him, now that he will be used to repopulate the world? Will he ever find happiness again? Will he see his old friends? This is an AU, yaoi fic. Mpreg warning.
1. Chapter 1: Prelude

Chapter 1: Prelude

It was late, really late, and that was all Makoto could think as he ran through the streets of the deserted city that had once been his home.

It was beginning to get dark, he might not make it home before all light extinguished and that scared the hell out of him, so he ran faster, trying to move without making too much noise. The nocturne monsters weren't the only threat, and that was very clear in his head. He had to get back, he had to get back soon.

As he ran, rushing through the empty streets, his past came back in a hurry. He could remember that night too clearly; the night he learned that men were more dangerous than beasts.

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_The lights of the building had flickered and the sound of footsteps could be heard._

_In those dangerous days, the only way of surviving was forming big groups, but the one he was in wasn't very strong, as it was mostly formed by women and children._

_The group was hiding from the Vigilant, a governmental organization that hunted them, inside an old building. Women and kids were all together, while the men stood by the doors, ready to run and face the danger in order to protect the group._

_Makoto sat at the middle, his baby brother held tightly. Ren was crying, Ren was always crying. How could he not cry? His mother was dead and he went hungry a lot, babies didn't have any other way to complain. But the small child's cries were attracting the Vigilant, and so Makoto could do nothing but place his little hand over his baby brother's mouth, trying to make him stop._

_"This is not going to work, they'll find us all!" said a woman, and she grabbed Makoto by the upper arm, almost making the nine-year-old boy drop the baby he held._

_"Hey, you take that and go hide somewhere else!" the woman said, nudging the boy towards the back exit door. _

_Makoto had looked around, his green eyes searching the group for someone that supported him, but all they did was avert their eyes. And so he was forced to leave, taking the baby with him._

_He was a big boy, for his age, and quite strong too, so he could run fast, and that's what he did. He ran and ran... and then the yells started. Makoto's father had acted fast, going after his two sons, who were being chased already. The presence of the older male made the Vigilant chasing the children put their attention in him, and that helped Makoto hide. He could do nothing more, his legs hurt, his arms hurt, he was tired. At least, the baby in his arms had stopped crying._

_He just sat there, under a huge pile of concrete, incapable of taking his eyes of the scene unfolding before him. His father fought, but there wasn't much he could do, and so the Vigilant killed him, right there, right in front of his son's eyes._

_Makoto shook his head, trying to get rid of the image of his father lying dead on the floor. Why had they killed him? Why? He hadn't hurt anybody…_

_._

Makoto couldn't really understand it then. It took him months to finally get it and years to begin to truly process it. Now, at eighteen years old and after having lived a long, hard life, he finally understood.  
The illness that had taken the lives of millions was the reason for all the craziness. It had all started with an isolated case in Tokyo; just one, but it had quickly spread and there was nothing anyone could do.

Soon, a lot of people had died and other had been affected differently by the disease, making them mutate in weird ways. Those second kind of people, the tainted ones as they called them, wouldn't die of the illness, but they should not have children since they'd too sport the mutation and they'd surely lead to the contamination of all humanity. And so they were hunted by the Vigilant. Makoto's father knew they would come to kill him soon, and he knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill his sons without checking them, that's why he'd been ready to give his life to save theirs.

Makoto and Ren were immunes, blessed ones. They were two of the few people who would just not get sick and, even though that put them out of risk of dying by the illness, it made them the target of The Vigilant too.

Because the Vigilant had two main objectives. The first one was to kill the tainted ones, every single one of them; the second one was to catch the blessed ones.

Humanity had suffered a great loss. With and very low percentage of blessed ones, mostly males, there weren't many humans left. They needed to breed new humans, and so they got every single immune person and assigned them a partner with whom to do so.

As Makoto turned right on the corner that took to the apartment he was hiding in, a group of four Vigilant came face to face with him.

"Shit" he said. The loaf of bread he had on his hands fell to the ground as they pinned him to the wall and injected him with a sleep drug.

They'd caught him.

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**EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2: First day

**Hey there! So, here is the second chapter to this story. I hope you like it!**

**Warning: If you hadn't guessed, the story might be a little harsh on sensible people. It contains Mpreg and Male/male love, so if you don't like it please don't read it.**

**Disclaimer: Free! and it's character are not mine. Unfortunately, High speed! isn't mine either. I know,****it's sad...**

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Chapter 02: First day.

He was tired. Gosh, he was so tired. He opened his eyes only to realize that, for some reason, he'd been thrown into a kennel-like structure, though big enough to fit his large body. About who had done it and why, he didn't know a single thing. Still, even though just waking up from his drug-induced sleep, he knew very well what had happened. He'd been caught.

His head hurt, his back hurt… actually, it all hurt. He looked down at his body, assessing the state he was in. He seemed alright, apart from the muscular pain that came for being only in one position.

How long had he been there? He could not remember clearly, since he didn't really know how long he'd been down, sleeping because of the drug they'd used on him; still, he believed it had been around eight hours. Eight hours since he'd been forcefully taken from his hometown and already he was so far.

Through the bars of his prison, Makoto could see the outside through the window of what he could only guess was a train. If he was on a train it meant he'd left his home; that he'd left his old house, his old school, and even that old swimming club to which he went with his best friend. He felt like crying, leaving so many things behind... being forced to leave them.

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Another hour passed, or so he thought, and the thing he was travelling on slowed down so much that it was possible to now see something through the window. He forced his eyes to focus and he wished he hadn't. On the outside of the train there was nothing but chaos. It was just like things had been back at his city, but this seemed worse, somehow.

Then, as the train advanced, it suddenly began going down and the light coming through the windows became dim. A subway. It must mean the train was reaching it's destination, and Makoto knew very well where that was.

The Eden, as the government had called it when their TV commercials were still going on, was the place where all the "blessed ones" lived. It sounded appealing at first, the idea of a safe place to live after the apocalyptic-like disease; but it was basically a huge, beautiful prison designed to hold in those few who were immune and keep out those who weren't.

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That's where Makoto ended up. As soon as the train stopped moving, two men walked in the compartment and pulled the new catches out. Makoto frowned as he saw he hadn't been the only one whose freedom had been snatched by the Vigilant.

The men took him to the hospital for a check-up, where he was subjected to various tests. He felt like a lab rat, being stung and injected over and over, and in different places of his body too. At the end, he was deemed healthy and fertile, he was assigned a new home and, what he'd feared the most, a new "wife".

"Hey, it's not too bad, really. They make evaluations, the match-makers from the Vigilant. They are good at their jobs and they almost never fail. You'll see it with your own eyes when you get home, people are happy here" the doctor who'd given him his results said.

He seemed to be a nice enough person and he smiled at the teenager while he talked to him.

"I'll tell you a secret, but you can't tell anyone else I told you or I'll be in trouble" he said, winking his eye at Makoto. "It's possible you know your wife, as he was brought from the same city you lived in. I've checked him myself, he doesn't talk much, though" the doctor said, standing suddenly since someone had knocked on the door.

A woman then entered the room and began chatting with the doctor. Makoto didn't really get to hear their words, being so immersed in his thought.

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So he'd got a male for a wife... how was that possible? He knew that the blessed ones were mostly men, since the illness that almost put an end to humanity seemed to affect females worse, but he hadn't guessed they'd pair two males together.

If they were trying to make them breed, wasn't doing that the contrary?

The doctor seemed to guess Makoto's train of thought and he dismissed the woman in order to be left alone with the boy once again.

"It is possible, they've made it possible, the scientist working for the Vigilant. You know, women were for some reason more affected and only a small number of them was immune. I think this disease was meant to erase humanity from earth, and to prove that we have many facts... however, we are resistant" the man said, smiling a little. As if there was anything to smile about.

He was treating Makoto like a kid, but he was somewhat of a kid, after all, so he said nothing about it and only politely heard the other.

"They've developed an artificial device that is implanted in men. You'll be able to have kids with you partner with no problem." he'd said, and then he'd went on explaining procedures for "male-wives" and how they were harder since they needed a minor surgery to implant the device... Makoto wasn't paying much attention by that time, really. He was just glad he'd been picked up as the husband in that relationship.

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He was sent home after that, accompanied by the woman he'd seen at the doctor's office. She was a middle-age person and, of course, she was pregnant. What place would that child occupy in her family? Makoto was sure it wasn't the first...

"This is your home, memorize the address, you'll need it to move around of course and all official procedures demand for you to write it down" she said, giving the large teenager a card with his address written in it.

"And this are the rules. Be sure to review them and show them to your partner when he arrives. We'll show them to him too, of course, but a little remainder won't harm anyone. Now, you need to know that, because of the procedure he underwent upon arrival, he'll be staying in the hospital a little longer, but he should be here in five days tops. Welcome to the Eden!" she said, and then she left Makoto alone.

A little overwhelmed, Makoto entered his house (it felt weird even thinking about it that way) and sat in the couch to check the paper she'd given to him. It read:

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Welcome to the Eden!

You are now part of our community and, as such, it's expected that you follow the rules, which are:

1-Every person has the right and obligation of going to the hospital for regular check-ups in order to monitor their health and fertility.

* For males, medical personal will decide whether an artificial uterus should be placed, based on fertility and taking on account other physical characteristics.

* Both, pregnant men and women have the obligation to inform so to their doctor and go for regular check-ups.

2-Every "male" inhabitant of the Eden will have an assigned home and, after that, a partner will be assigned to him as well.

*Men with an artificial uterus will be assigned to a husband and will, thus, not get a house of their own, as they will live with their partner.

3- Every person with an assigned home shall then apply for a job, filling the application with three of the job choices they'd like to take. One will be selected for each person.

*Jobs may include housekeeping and you can also apply to open a business.

*There is no monetary payment for the work people do, since there is no currency used at the Eden. Instead, people can get everything they need, from groceries to health care, charge free.

4-Every couple must produce their first-born inside the first twelve months of their life together.

*If the twelve-month mark comes and the mother or male-mother is still not pregnant, she/he will be relocated with another capable male, and a new wife will be assigned to the husband.

*After the first born, the second child should be produced inside the next three years, and the third child in the next three after that.

*Even though only three children are required, a couple can have as many kids more as they'd like.

Please, review the rules with your partner and make sure to follow them to ensure the safety of the community.

Have a nice day!

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Reading the list made Makoto go as pale as a ghost. He'd heard them all already, of course, but they'd had only been myths at that time.

Only four... he knew there wouldn't only be four rules for an entire nation, and that was what the Eden was now. He could only guess the other rules only applied if you broke one of those first four, and so he promised himself not to ever know what the rest were about.

He left the paper sheet with the rules over at the table by the door and then he went to explore the house. His house, or should he say his prison? It was a nice prison.

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**Ok so, now that you've read let me ask you. Did you like it? If you did, please review. I feel like I need your feedback for this, since it's such a complex story.**

**Right now, I'm trying not to write everything that comes to my mind. I'm censoring myself with the mpreg thing, mostly. So tell me, should I write freely or keep it down on that account?**

**Other thing! Can you guess who Makoto's partner will be? *wink wink***

**Talk to you later!**

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**EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3: First day and introductions

**Hey guys! Ok, so I couldn't stop writing after posting the last chapter of the story and, so, here you have the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine, everything else... well, is not.**

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**Chapter 03: First day and introductions**

_He left the paper sheet with the rules over at the table by the door and then he went to explore the house. His house, or should he say his prison? It was a nice prison._

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The house itself sat over foundations, having stairs that lead to a small porch at the front of the house. It looked just like a Victorian townhouse right out of some movie which name he couldn't remember.

As one entered the stairs that led to the second level were visible, at the right of the front door. L shaped stairs that were probably meant for saving space.

At the left of the front door was the living room, a big spacious room that had a couch, a loveseat and two armchairs, a fireplace and a bookcase, which was actually empty.

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He then walked along the corridor, deciding to check the ground level before going upstairs.

Next to the living room was the kitchen, which also had the dining table in it. It, too, was spacious. In front of the kitchen, next to the back door, was a laundry room, and next to that was a bathroom, close to the stairs.

It all seemed pretty organized and Makoto smiled a little, thinking how easy things could be there. Now a little bit curious, the teenager then opened the back door and stepped outside onto a back, wooden-floor deck, beyond which was a fenced patio. It had nothing in it but a well-kept grass that covered the extension of it, so Makoto went back inside and climbed the stairs.

The vision of the many doors upstairs made him hesitate, unsure of really wanting to check those.

His curiosity, though, won the fight and he opened the first room to the left. As he stepped inside, he shivered.

The room had nothing inside but a crib. There was no other furniture, no changing table, no dresser, nothing but that single, lonely crib, and it in itself was enough to make Makoto rush out and back downstairs.

He sat at the sofa and pulled his legs up, trying to curl up there as best as he could as his eyes began to water a little.

It terrified him, the crib upstairs, because of what it meant and because of what it reminded him of. An empty crib. A crib without a baby in it.

It reminded him of Ren, his baby brother who had been too small when it all began.

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Makoto's mother had died because of the disease and Ren's twin sister, Ran, had suffered the same destiny. They hadn't suffered much, not that he could remember.

One day, his mother fell ill and she never truly recovered. Her fever was high, too high, and she died from it at the hospital, followed by Ran only two days after.

Only The boys of the family were left alive, but with the father being a tainted one, they could do nothing more but hide.

Still, Ren turned out to be nothing but a burden, and Makoto hated himself for thinking so, but as each night came and he had to curl beside a crying, hungry baby, there was no way he could avoid thinking that the poor thing could be better off if he'd gone with mamma and Ran to heaven.

And then, just a few days after his father was killed, Makoto woke up to find a pale, cold baby by his side.

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There was nothing he could do at the time. He couldn't bury his father and he couldn't bury his baby brother either. He only could run, and that was what he'd done. He'd left the tiny body behind and, for that very reason, every time he slept he saw the rotting form of a little baby, and he saw the bloodied body of his father on the ground, and he saw himself as a good for nothing...

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He couldn't take it anymore, the images were too clear and far too painful. He had to distract himself… Maybe shopping would do. After all, the woman from before had said he'd had to do so, anyway. Why not do it then?

He took the little address card he'd been given, stuck it in the pocket of his jeans so he wouldn't get lost and walked out of the house.

Where was the store? Had he seen one on his way there? He couldn't recall. Oh well, he'd just have to walk around and ask for directions to some neighbour, and so, when a short, blond haired teen passed by him, he immediately asked.

"H-Hey! Sorry to interrupt, could you tell me how to get to the nearest shop?" He asked, trying to remember to be polite. It had been so long since he could just approach a random stranger and ask something that he wasn't even sure he could make a normal question anymore.

"Uh? Sure! But I have a better idea, I'll come with you and show you around! I'm Nagisa, by the way, are you new here?" the boy said, speaking quite fast and with such a happy tone that it surprised Makoto a little. He recovered fast, though, or at least he tried. He gave a polite smile at the shorter teenager.

"Really? Thanks! My name is Makoto and yes, I just arrived today." he said, looking at the boy and wondering a lot about him. He'd like to ask many things, but he didn't have the slightest idea of how to begin, or what to ask for the mater, and he feared he might sound rude, too. So he settled with listening to the others rambling and followed him around.

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Nagisa turned out to be his next door neighbour, who lived there with his husband Rei. He told Makoto they had arrived a few weeks before and so, they were just adjusting to their new life style. He also said that part of the Eden was very recent and, so, most of the couples there were young and new comers, or 'new catches' as Nagisa said jokingly.

The boy's cheerful personality helped Makoto forget about his worries and he relaxed a little while they both shopped.

"Look, Mako-chan! You should take this, it's cute!" said Nagisa, pointing at a small dolphin that appeared to be a toy for shower time. It was, indeed, cute and it reminded Makoto of his best friend, so he took it, not paying much attention to the new nick name Nagisa had made up for him.

"We have everything we needed now, Nagisa. I think we should go back," the green-eyed said, looking over at his companion and catching him taking a few 'toys' that made Makoto blush from neck to forehead while the other did nothing but laugh at him.

"Come on, come on, it's nothing special, just sex, you know, just sex" he said, as cheerful as ever. He was pretty straight-forward, as Makoto could tell, and he seemed to be enjoying his life with his partner. Could it be that the doctor had been saying the truth when they talked? Were the match makers really that accurate?

As they went back home and even after they parted ways and each went to his house, Makoto continued thinking the very same think, hoping hard it could be true.

Maybe he'd have a nice partner. Maybe both could be happy there.

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**Ok, so we have the first pairing! Even though I won't be getting too much into Describing Rei and Nagisa's relationship, we are going to see more of them!**

**I just love the bubbly personality of Nagisa and I seriously think Makoto was lucky to meet the boy right away. In a way, I think the blond can save our large friend and make him smile a little.**

.

**Now, as you saw here, some things can go slightly dark, like the death of Ren as a baby. I can be quite sadistic with the characters and I need to warn you about it, since there might be hard and sad times ahead of this kids.**

**But now, I say bye-bye! If you like, please review, I like reviews!**

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**EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4: Second day

**EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.**

**Disclaimer: The characters and their personalities are not mine, the plot is though.**

**Hope you like it!**

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Chapter 04: Second day

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He was tired, he was so tired. Everything hurt, especially his belly, but there were things worrying him more than his own hunger. He'd been trying to find baby food he could give to Ren, but he hadn't found any.

The food they'd had was forgotten at the building where they were hiding, as the attack was far too sudden for him to remember to get it before running away.

Maybe if he returned to the building the milk would still be there... oh, but so would be the corpses of the people he'd been living with until just a few days ago. So would be the death, bloodied body of his father. He couldn't come back, of course he couldn't.

But Ren was hungry. What was he going to do?

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He went back to his new hiding place, where he'd left his baby brother while he went out.

The child was crying quietly, perhaps too tired to really cry.

Makoto had found water and nothing else. He was so thirsty he wanted to drink it all, but he knew he should feed his brother too, and so he filled the baby bottle he had and put it to Ren's lips. The child sucked at it with all his might, desperate, holding on to life with as much strength as he had.

That night was cold and Makoto could do nothing but hold his baby brother close so he wouldn't freeze. He hugged the tiny body tightly to his chest, but as the morning came he realized it served nothing.

Ren was no longer breathing, his eyes were closed and his slightly opened mouth was dry and pale.

The nine-year-old took his hands away from the corpse in fear, and then he started to cry. He was afraid, and he felt bad for it. Why was he so scared of his baby brother? Would dad and mom be angry he couldn't take care of him? Would they be sad? Would they all be disappointed of him? They should be, he had failed as a big brother.

The baby's lifeless eyes opened again, looking at Makoto and making him sink into their white nothingness... and then he woke up.

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The covers of the bed he slept in were soaked in sweat and it was making him cold.

He understood at once that it had been all a nightmare. Of course it had been. He was very used to having those, really, since they'd been appearing every single night since his father's death.

Sometimes he saw Ren, sometimes it was his father, other times he could even see his mother and sister... he had seen them all so many times he wasn't even surprised anymore. Makoto no longer yelled or cried in his sleep; no, all he did was lay there, immobile and unable to wake up. It was fine for him, it was the punishment he deserved for being the only one left alive of his family.

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After getting up, Makoto placed the bed sheets in the washing machine and then went to take a shower. It was so nice having a big shower that actually worked! The water was very clean and even warm too, and so he could relax in it.

He'd missed water a lot. After all, Makoto had loved going to the swimming club with his best friend and it had been too long since, because of the disease outburst, they'd had to stop going.

He got out of the shower and dressed up quickly, going downstairs to make his breakfast and, as he was just walking into the kitchen, the doorbell rang.

It was Nagisa, who came with a large smile and a piece of strawberry cake, announcing he'd done it himself and quickly beginning the chatter.

It was nice, since it helped Makoto feel less alone and it worked wonders with keeping him distracted, and aside from that, the blonde's conversation proved very informative, helping Makoto know more about how life went about in the Eden.

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It was a very nice morning, and Makoto was truly sad when he saw the boy go.

He occupied himself with cleaning. He made the bed with new, clean covers and he even ventured outside on his own, going to the mall in a quest for clothes.

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It took him long enough, and soon his second day in that place was over. It surprised him and just slightly worried him that his partner hadn't yet arrived, though he knew he shouldn't be worrying, since the woman from the other day had told him it could take a week.

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**Yeah, this was somewhat of a filler chapter, so I'll post another one in a while.**

**Ready to see who Makoto's partner turns out to be? I hope you are, since I'm dying to reveal it!**

**.**

**Until then, bye bye!**

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**EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5: Third day

**[EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.]**

**Hey guys! So here is the fifth chapter. Finally, we see some other characters!**

**Please, if you like what you read, don't forget to leave a review. If you don't like it, you can also tell me so in the comments and give feedback so this can get better.**

**Disclaimer: Free! and High seed! don't belong to me, nor do their characters. ****Only the plot is mine.**

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Chapter 05: Third day.

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Makoto had gotten up early that day, awoken by a particularly ugly nightmare. Since he didn't feel like going back to sleep, he got up and showered before dressing and rushing to make breakfast.

He was beginning to get used to who easy it was to get food when he was hungry. It was as simple as walking to the kitchen, opening the fridge and taking it out. Granted, he did have to cook it first, but that was only another thrilling part of the process!

He was starting to really like cooking, even if he wasn't yet great at it. He'd spent so many times scattering for food that the prospect of choosing and preparing it as he liked or wanted was quite amazing.

For that reason, he found himself making some incredible mixes that were probably inedible, and he still ate them with happily.

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That day too, Nagisa came to his house, and as Makoto opened the door to let the other in, something caught his eye.

"You must be fucking kidding me! I won't stay here!" he heard, and he looked over to the man who was speaking them. He was a young male with red hair that almost reached his shoulder, and he was desperately moving against the grip of the two, big men that were, Makoto supposed, escorting him to his new home.

At the door of the house was another guy who could only be described as large. He was about Makoto's size and he had an even broader constitution. He also had icy blue eyes that looked at the other with annoyance, or another emotion of the like.

Neither him nor the suited men said anything as they got the red head inside the house, but he did direct a cold glance over to Makoto and Nagisa, closing the door soon after.

Surprisingly enough, Nagisa already had the information regarding those two.

"The big one is named Yamazaki Sousuke, and he arrived here the same day you did, Mako-chan. The red haired one is called Matsuoka Rin, but I don't know much about him yet... he's got guts, though, to resist the Vigilant like that..." the blond said, dropping the volume until it was no more than a whisper.

He seemed a little bit sad for a moment, but then he started thinking aloud, saying what he thought would become of those two, and he recovered his cheerful ways.

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In his mind, however, Makoto could only see the desperation that had been seen in the Red haired guy, Rin. Would his partner be as angry as Rin was? Would he be brought by two large man too?

Even after Nagisa left and the day passed, he still wondered.

.

Nothing had been heard from the house next door, and Makoto started to worry about his new neighbour. Had something happen to Rin? Had the Vigilant men drugged him?

Before he could do or say anything, a knock on his door got him out of his thoughts and he hurried to open, thinking Nagisa had forgotten something and was back to get it.

Still, what he found wasn't the blond, but a small brunette woman who seemed to be on her mid-thirties and was very pregnant.

The woman came accompanied by a young boy, probably his own age, with short, straight, black hair and eyes so blue they reminded him of the ocean. And then Makoto's yaw dropped, because he knew that guy. He knew those eyes. He knew them so well, he often saw them in dreams, before the nightmares started.

"H-Haru?!" he asked, unable to stop himself from half-yelling and rushing to grab the other male by the shoulders.

"You're too noisy, Makoto." said the other, and only then did Makoto allow himself to believe his eyes.

He held onto the other even tighter and he hunched so he could bury his face in the other's neck.

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"Emm... sorry to interrupt you. I need to make the official introduction, though I see you know each other" said the woman, whose existence Makoto had totally forgotten. "My name is Miho Amakata, and I will be your counsellor. Mr. Tachibana, this is Haruka Nanase, your assigned partner. I hope you get along well, but if for some reason you don't, here's my number. You just call, ask for me and I'll help you sort things out, that's my job" she said, smiling gently as she finished her words.

"Well then, I'll leave you for now. See you later!" she said. The familiar way she spoke to them calmed Makoto a little.

She left after that, leaving both boys alone.

"Makoto, you're strangling me." said Haruka with ease, though sounding slightly out of air.

"Oh! Sorry, Haru! Are you alright now?" Makoto asked, releasing the body of his childhood friend only to hug him again second later.

"Haru! Haru! It's really you, Haru!" the taller boy said, almost crying. It was so amazing, that they'd somehow ended up together again, after so many years of separation.

"Yeah... Makoto, I'm hungry, do we have any fish? I fancy Mackerel."

"Of course you do! Let's see if we have any, Haru."

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**Ok, there it is! MakoHaru!**

**So, now that we have those, let me make a list of the pairings here.**

**-MakoHaru**

**-SousukeRin**

**-ReiNagisa**

**I might try and add more Characters, like the Samezuka guys, Nitori And Momotarou, Gou and Chigusa and even Kisumi, but I'll need to think it over first.**

**.**

**So, did you like the chapter? Is somewhat short, but I liked it. Hope you think the same.**

**Thanks for leaving a review! Also, if you have any means of sharing the link to this story, please do so. As the author, I'd really like my work to find it's way to the readers, so links in any kind of social media would be very appreciated.**

**.**

**Thanks so much for reading! Until next time, bye bye!**

**[EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.]**


	6. Chapter 6: Good night

**[EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.]**

**Hey there!**

**Here I present you with the six chapter of this story. It's quite little, really, but I've been somehow busy so, yeah.**

**Go on, read it!**

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Chapter 06: Good night

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Makoto and Haruka had stayed at the kitchen until late. He felt the need to tell his friend about every single thing he knew about the Eden, and so he talked and talked about everything he'd learned from Nagisa.

It hadn't been too much of a conversation, really, since Makoto had been the only one talking, but Haruka's eyes met his from time to time and that was enough for him to know he had his friend's attention.

Still, the other had said one or two things, things that Makoto didn't really know how to answer.

The first one had been a question.

_If things were like they were, how would they sort them out?_ Until then, Makoto had thought he'd get a complete stranger for a partner. Maybe someone he could respect and later, perhaps, even love. He'd thought they would need a little bit of team work, but that they could sort things out and do as the Vigilant said, producing the children needed and trying to be happy with their forced little family... But having Haruka had really changed things for him.

Could he really force himself onto the other? He knew the answer was no. If Haru was against the whole thing, Makoto wouldn't be able to do anything to change his mind, and then who knew how things might end. The boy preferred being punished instead of having Haru hate him, but the fact that Haru could be punished too was really getting to him.

Haru's next words, though, had made him even more confused.

"Makoto, if it's you is okay." he'd said and then he'd looked elsewhere. He seemed to be blushing and as soon as Makoto opened his mouth to question him the raven stood up and walked away after saying "bathroom".

He hadn't come back after that, and when Makoto went upstairs looking for the other male he found him sleeping in the bed.

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"If it's you, it's okay too, Haru" said Makoto, smiling gently as he took his jeans off and got into bed next to his friend. "Good night, Haru" he said, allowing himself to rest close to the boy.

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That night, Makoto had absolutely no nightmares.

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**[EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.]**


	7. Chapter 7: Jobs

**[EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.]**

**Chapter 7 Jobs**

**.**

Morning came sooner than expected. The sun rose on the sky and, soon, it shined through the open window, it's light falling onto the sleeping teens. It's warmth kissed their skin, and that was exactly what woke Makoto up.

At first, he couldn't believe it but, as he sat up and looked around him, noticing how Haru was stirring, it registered. He hadn't had a bad dream that night.

He was completely stunned, and he could do nothing but look at Haru as he sat up too and groggily looked around. He looked quite adorable like that; his hair standing in weird places, his eyes barely open and the look of slight confusion on his face. It was a kid's way to wake up, one that Makoto had had to lose a long time ago, changing it for a "ready for battle" one.

"Good morning, Haru. Slept well?" he asked, finally being able to do something. He was still shocked for the lack of nightmares, which had become a constant in his life, but he'd already recovered enough. He wouldn't miss the bad dreams, even if they were gone for good.

"Yeah, good morning" was Haru's answer. He still looked half-asleep, which to Makoto seemed plain adorable.  
Had he always felt like that towards his friend? Perhaps, though he couldn't really remember. He was too young when they parted ways, at the beginning of it all, but he could still remember how he used to cling to Haruka. His friend was slightly older and way more mature when they were children, but that probably wasn't the only reason why he followed Haru like a faithful puppy.

"Nice, today we have quite some things to do, don't we? But maybe we should eat breakfast today… what should I cook?" Makoto started talking to Haru, but soon began just talking aloud to himself. It had become a sort of habit since he arrived to the Eden; without the possibility of being caught, staying quiet all the time was unneeded, and the house felt too lonely, so he'd unconsciously started to do it.

"I´ll cook, I want mackerel, anyway" Haru said, getting up and walking towards the door without even waiting for an answer. It made Makoto smile, the fact that Haruka hadn't changed at all in that time. How had he done it? How had he managed to stay so untouched by everything that had happened?

He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of him. He felt that he'd changed so much, too much, during the years he'd had to live outside. Maybe someday would come when they could just sit and talk about life those days. Maybe they'd even laugh it off… or maybe they would never even dare go near that topic, given the pain that time had caused.

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Makoto was so deep in his thought that he didn't hear the first time Haruka called for him. It took the blue-eyed boy two more times for him to finally snap out of it and rush to the kitchen.

"It´s ready, let´s eat" Haru said after he showed up.

Had he been waiting for him? That made Makoto smile and rush to the table, were a plate for him was set, right in front of Haru.

"It´s delicious, Haru!" he said as he took the first bite. It really was delicious, but maybe that was because it had been Haru who cooked it.

"Of course, it's mackerel" the raven said simply, causing Makoto to giggle.

"Oh, I remembered. Haru, we need to go to the city hall and have you pick a job… or have they assigned one to you already at the hospital?"

"They didn't."

"Ok, then we do have to go. Is it ok if we go today? I don't like to drag things too much when it regards the vigilant. With those men, it's better to do things sooner than later" Makoto truly felt like that but, did that apply to the "making children" part as well? As soon as he thought about it, a blush creeped up his face and settled there, making him look like a mortified tomato, if such thing existed.

Thankfully, Haru didn't notice, as busy as he was eating his beloved favourite food.

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After they finished eating and doing the dishes, they both dressed to leave the house and walked outside.

The day was beautiful, with a clear, cloudless sky that allowed the sunlight to brighten everything. There were also many people going around the place, mostly men. It was nice, seeing all that people moving so freely. In the outside, no one dared walk like that, even less in such a bright day were being spotted would be a bigger possibility.

Still, there they were, walking around with smiles on their faces.

Makoto was pretty absorbed on that, but his mind was drawn from his thoughts as he saw Haru cringe. He was about to ask what was wrong, but then his eyes followed the direction in which Haru was looking and he quickly spotted the "problem". A man was walking down the street pushing a stroller with a toddler in it, though the main eye-catch there was the huge, protruding belly that he sported. It was obvious he was very pregnant, and so it was obvious why Haru had had that sort of reaction. He'd been the picked wife, after all, and in a few months' time it would be him who'd have that belly; who'd have a baby growing inside him. That was enough to make anyone cringe.

Makoto would have wanted to say something, but his numb mind didn't want to cooperate. They continued walking silently and, soon enough, they arrived to where they were heading.

"What kind of job would you like, Haru?" Makoto asked, looking at the other with interest.

"I don´t know" was his simple reply.

"Maybe you could sign up for being a chef, since your cooking is so good. You could be a baker too, maybe they'd even let you open your own bakery! It would be so nice… or if that's too much of a trouble, you could pick to be a housekeeper and stay at home. I wonder what I should pick…" before Makoto could begin wondering out loud, they reached the front of the desk, and were each sent with a different employee. They were given the job application and the time to choose, as well as information on each of the choices.

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"What did you pick, Haru?" were Makoto's first words. He'd been already given an answer, as one of his options was actually something much needed at the moment.

"A cook" he said, though he smiled softly a moment after. "At my own restaurant. They left me have one, since there is none around our place. I have to wait until the restaurant is built, though."

"Woah! That´s so cool, Haru! I don´t know how I feel though, about having you make meals for someone else but me" Makoto added, half-yoking and half speaking the truth.  
"I got to be a firefighter…" he added softly after, his words causing Haru to turn his head around and look at him with wide opened eyes.

He didn't need to say anything for Makoto to understand; it was a dangerous job and he understood Haru's concerns, but it had actually been his childhood dream, to be able to help people like that.

"I applied for that and being a teacher, since I couldn't think of a third option. But apparently they really needed firefighters, since they don´t have that many…" each word spoken made Haruka worry even more, and so he didn't say anything else, not wanting to let out something he didn't mean.

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What they hadn't expected, though, was their little talk to be interrupted. As they walked to their home, a running read-headed male bumped right into Makoto, causing that both of them fell onto the ground.

The taller teen recognized the read-head. It was Rin, the kid they'd brought a day ago. He was crying, but desperately trying to wipe his tears.

Just as Makoto was about to ask, the boy's partner caught up.

"Sorry, this won´t happen again" he said, not giving any further information as he picked Rin up in his arms and turned to go back to the house. However, watching Rin's reaction was enough to make Makoto relax a little, since the boy nestled his head on Sousuke's shoulder. He wouldn't do such a thing if he hated the other, would he?

"Makoto, are you alright?" asked Haruka, who had crouched down next to his partner, checking for any injuries.

"Yeah, don´t worry, it just took me by surprise, it´s all" he answered, finally standing up.

"Makoto, let's go inside" Haru said, and then he did something the other wouldn't have had expected. He held Makoto's hand in his own, tightly. Then, he made his way into their little house.

* * *

**Yes, yes, it's me. No, you're not dreaming.**

**Sorry it took me such a long time to update, I certainly hope this doesn't ever happen again.**

**Anyway, now that it's here, please enjoy it.**

**[EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.]**


	8. Chapter 8: Babies?

**[EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.]**

Chapter 8: Babies?

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The day passed by quickly, the time flying as the two of them hanged around the house together.

Haru'd wanted to look around a bit, and so he focused on that, with Makoto trailing behind him, not once taking an eye out of his face.

Haruka couldn't quite understand the reason for his actions, but he didn't give it too much thought.

The house was large enough to fit the number of people supposed to live in it, but not too huge. It could be cosy, with the right things placed in the right places. It needed attention and love, the rooms, especially, which were empty and blank, with nothing in them. It felt like the houses from the outside; abandoned places that screamed "empty" in loud voices.

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Haru opened one door after another, staying in the room long enough to imagine what could be made of them. It was too long, in Makoto's perception, but he didn't say anything as he watched Haru wander around.

At last, they reached the nursery… or what seemed like it was supposed to be the nursery, since it had the crib inside.

Aside from that crib, the room had nothing in it, and that had made Makoto flee the first time he watched it. Haruka, in the other hand, stepped inside and walked closer to that crib, touching the wood with his fingertips.

He looked calm on the outside, but his insides were completely messed up. He, like Makoto, knew very well what that crib was there for, and to look at it only reminded him of what had to happen.

He felt terrified, petrified and nauseated, but at the same time he couldn't stop looking at the crib, his mind picturing a little baby in it. A baby that would be his. A baby that would be Makoto's.

The teen couldn't hold it any longer, and he crouched down on the floor right next to that crib. He held to the bars as if he were holding for dear life, and all he could do was take deep breaths, trying not to start hyperventilating.

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Makoto was fast, and he rushed to his friend's side, touching his back in a calming manner as he, too, crouched down.

"It´s ok, Haru. Just breath in deeply… like that, yes, keep it up" he said, talking to Haruka with the same soft voice he always directed at him.

His friend lifted his head, directing his eyes towards his. Haru was not crying, of course he wasn't, but his eyes had so much emotion it almost made Makoto start doing just that.

Not that Haru gave him the chance, really, because at that very moment the shorter teen moved forward and joined his lips to the taller boy.

He had never kissed anyone before, none of them had, but he still tried with all his might to do it alright. But then, Makoto was too surprised to actually do something, and when he finally popped out of his shock-like state, he grabbed Haru by the shoulders and pulled him away.

"W-what was that!?" he asked, his eyes opened comically wide.

"A kiss" Haru said, averting his gaze and accidentally looking back at the crib, which made him flinch. "Makoto, do you like me?" he asked, surprising said boy and living him speechless.

Seeing as he didn't get an answer, Haruka finally stood up. "I'll go take a bath" he announced, walking over to their bedroom, just next door.

At that point, though, Makoto got up too and caught up with his friend, grabbing him by an arm and closing the distance between their mouths yet again. Haru allowed the kiss and even returned it, which truly made Makoto wonder just what was going on through that head of his.

"Of course I like you, Haru" he answered after parting, his cheeks tainted a deep red and his green eyes avoiding Haru's blue ones.

"Enough to make a baby?" Haru asked, looking at the taller kid's face. It was really hard to guess what was crossing the boy's mind, what he was thinking. For the first time since their childhood, Makoto didn't have the slightest idea of what his friend was thinking. "We have to do it, don´t we? And it has to be soon… Makoto, could you love a baby made with me?" he asked, and only then did Makoto begin to understand.

'_It is weird, too guys making a baby. Could you love a kid like that?´_ he assumed it was something along those lines, and it did it for him.

He teared up and he hugged Haru to his chest. He was so sorry for not being able to protect him, for not being able to protect Ren or help his father, he was sorry for being a good for nothing, but he also was tired of it. From that moment forward, he would do everything in his hands to make those dear to him happy, and if it meant following the rules made by someone else, then so be it.

"I couldn´t not love him, Haru, since I love you" he said, blushing madly and making his friend… no, his partner, blush as well.

"Really?" he still couldn't believe it. Haru still didn't know if he'd be able to love a child like that. But then, it would be Makoto's baby, and if he looked at least slightly like him, how could he not like the child? How could he not love it?

"Really. So let´s hurry up and make one, ok? Beat the neighbours" he said, joking.

"Let's get to it, then" said Haru, looking convinced and almost motivated.

"Eh… EHHH!?"

.

He'd thought it was a joke, he'd thought Haru's sense of humour had, for the first time, made its appearance. Now, he wasn't so sure.

Haruka had actually taken the initiative, for once, and he held onto Makoto's hand and pulled him inside the bathroom. He undressed like it was nothing, and though he did not undress Makoto, he intently looked at him until he did so. Then, he walked to the bathtub and got in, inviting the other male in with his eyes.

None of them had any experience, it was bound to be a hard time, but they were together, after all.

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-_Jumping that scene, since I'd like to keep this rated T. I __**might**__ make a scene for this and post it as an M fic, but that will be later, and only if enough people wish for it. For now, let´s keep reading.-_

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Rin's arrival had been hard. He'd been caught alongside his sister when the Vigilant had raided the building they'd been hiding in. They'd lasted, it was all he could think as they put them down.

After waking up again, already at the hospital inside the Eden, Rin had done nothing but ask for Gou, getting more and more desperate as time passed and no one answered his questions.

They'd had to pin him to the bed between three males in order for the tests to be made, and even though he was deemed fertile, he was still chosen to become a male-wife. That had been his breaking point. He kicked and hit people as he tried to run away, but at the end they caught him and put him under again.

When he woke up again, he was restrained to the bed, and he felt terrible. His abdomen hurt immensely, and he began crying as he realised the reason for that. Was he even a male anymore? They'd opened him and placed a uterus inside him; they'd turned him into a woman… not even that, they'd turned him into a freak.

And then, after a few days of keeping him watched, they'd dared to assign him a husband. He'd overheard the nurse as she spoke outside his room, saying that "a big, strong guy had to be picked for him in the hope he could restrain the wild red-head." He hated the man even before knowing him, and he promised he would not obey him, not even a little bit. If he had to go through hell, so did everyone else.

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He'd tried to resist when they took him to his new home, but the guys that escorted didn't allow it. They brought him into the place and, once again, drugged him.

He heard them tell his "husband" to do the deed while he was still groggy, to show him who was in charge, and then he heard Sousuke's words. "I would never do such a disgusting thing, now if you would leave, I assume he´s tired."

They'd left after that, Sousuke'd made them leave…

"Here, take a sip of water, it will hopefully clear your mind" he'd said, offering him a glass full with the clear liquid. Rin didn't even remember he was supposed to hate his guts, he accepted the water he offered, even thanking him afterwards.

Sousuke then told him all he knew about the Eden, taking it slowly. He told them what was expected of them and what would happen if they didn't do as they said. He even gave him a napkin after he started crying again, out of fear, hatred and desperation.

No, he shouldn't hate Sousuke, but the Vigilant. His husband was only another victim of their sick game. He wasn't so bad. He wasn't forcing him. He was trying to answer his questions as best he could and, as night came, he allowed Rin to lay close, and he hugged him, and he didn't once seem disgusted of the freak he now was.

Yeah, Sousuke was not someone he had to hate. He was nice, he was really nice, and he was really warm. He couldn't help but snuggle closer, loving how the other didn't cringe.

Maybe, if things calmed down a bit and he found his sister, just maybe he could like Sousuke. Just maybe he could love him.

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**[EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.]**


	9. Chapter 9: Congrats!

**[EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.]**

Chapter 9: Congrats!

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The night had quickly passed by and the sun shining through the window soon awoke Makoto, who lied in his bed, his arms tightly wrapped around Haruka.

Everything that had happened last night came to him in a rush and made him blush madly. He and Haru had… done it. They had actually done it.

He felt really weird, could he look Haru in the eyes after having seen him _that_ way? He'd never expected his friend to be able to look at him with such expressions on his face… he looked truly beautiful. Yeah, maybe he would be able to look at him, after all, though it would be hard to keep his hands to himself now that he knew how it felt to touch the other.

And then, there was other problem. Now they'd done it, Haru could actually be pregnant, thanks to the wicked ways of the Vigilant, and just how in hell would the boy react? Being a male and getting pregnant was, he would assume, easier said than done. He knew for sure that having something growing inside of him would creep the hell out of him. Wouldn't Haru be the same?  
He hoped not, because he loved Haru and he didn't want him to suffer, and because he'd feel really guilty, and because it would be so sad for an innocent child to come into a family that rejected him.

"Makoto, you´re hot" he heard Haru say, as he struggled to get out of the larger male's arms.

He felt like he was suffocating in Makoto's heat and, though it had felt really good during the night, he couldn't bear much more of it.

He got out of bed and stretched, feeling a slight pain on his hips. He wasn't too uncomfortable, though; Makoto had been really caring and sweet, even though neither of them knew what to do or how to do it, in the end they got to enjoy it. That was the other reason for getting up, he might just end up getting excited again if Makoto's strong arms remained around him, and there was no way he wanted to strain his body even more.

"I'll take a bath" he announced, walking to the bathroom without bothering to cover himself. Makoto smiled as he looked at his cute "wife's" body.

.

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Nagisa came that day, as Haru had just dressed up and was walking down the stairs. The blond had an immense smile on his face and was as bubbly as ever as Makoto invited him in and made the proper introductions.

"Mako-chan, Haru-chan, guess what!" he said, already treating Haruka with immense familiarity, which made said boy frown just slightly. Looking at Makoto and then turning towards Haru, he waited for one of them to answer.

"What happened, Nagisa? You look happy, is it something good?" Makoto asked, smiling kindly at the younger boy. He'd learned Nagisa's age and was quite surprised that they were pairing people so young. Not that he was much older, actually.

"Yes! It's good, really good. Guys, Rei and I… we are going to be parents soon!" he said, smiling from ear to ear and almost jumping off of his chair with excitement. "I went to the hospital yesterday, because I was feeling weird. You see, I even puked my delicious breakfast, a bread full with marmalade! So I went there to see a doctor and when they checked me they found out!"

He was so happy… he seemed truly happy, really. Was it like that for everyone? Was everyone happy to find out they were having a baby? Would Haru be happy when time came?

Makoto was lost in his thoughts, and so it was Haruka who replied. "Congratulations" he simply said, unable to smile, but at least using a not-so-cold tone.

"Oh, yeah! Congratulations, Nagisa! Do you know if it's a girl or a boy?" the green-eyed asked, as soon as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"Not yet, though I wanted to know so bad! Apparently, the babies are only eight weeks old and so it cannot be yet known… but I'll know in a month! Mako-chan, Haru-chan, would you come with me in a month to find out? Rei doesn't want to go because he wants it to be a surprise, so we can all find out and keep the secret from him, and…" Nagisa started talking and talking, and the boys stopped paying attention. Babies… had he said babies? Like in… plural!?

Makoto's enlarged eyes fixed on Haru's, which were fixed on Nagisa's abdomen. The normally expressionless boy was looking at the other with a face that showed just how surprised he was.

Nagisa's stomach looked normal, there was no strange bulge or anything, and if he hadn't said it himself, he wouldn't have guessed the boy was carrying a child, or children. Still, he was only two months into the pregnancy; maybe that was the reason. Maybe the babies were still too small to show.

At that point, Haru was really worrying. What if he'd gotten pregnant with what Makoto and him had done the night before? How long would it take _him_ to start showing? Could he, like Nagisa, end up having two or more kids at once!?

Unconsciously, he placed a hand over his stomach, just below his navel, and though he removed it immediately after, Makoto noticed anyway, though Nagisa didn't seem to do it.

"Wait, Nagisa… just how many babies are you expecting?" Makoto asked, truly curious. He, too, was wondering if multiple pregnancies were a common thing at the Eden.

"Eh? Oh, just three" Three… he´d said three. Not Makoto nor Haru could say a thing, but their faces were enough.

"But it's a good thing, don't you think? Rei and I will fulfil the Eden's main rule and then, we can just think of being happy together, with our family" he said, suddenly sounding more mature, probably because he didn't jump at all and he lowered his voice to a more appropriate volume.

It was true, what he said. It would be like totally lifting that weight off his shoulders. Once his babies were born, he would no longer have to worry about the possibility of the Vigilant's staff taking him away from Rei and assigning them other partners. He could completely concentrate on being happy.

Raising kids that way would certainly be better than doing it while stressing because of the deadlines.

"I see… Makoto, we should have three too" Haruka was looking at his husband, and though there was no smile on his face, Makoto knew he was half joking. There was no way they could have triplets just because they said so.

"Yes you should! And you should hurry, so mine and yours can play together all the time and be friends just like us!" Nagisa said, snapping right back to his well-known, bubbly ways.

Were they friends with Nagisa? Makoto hadn't thought about it, but it could certainly be possible, he liked the blonde's company and Haruka seemed at ease as well. It would be great to have some friends there.

"We´ll give it our best" Makoto said, smiling. That afternoon was spent with light chatter and jokes until, eventually, Nagisa left to go back home and wait until Rei arrived from work, so Haru and Makoto were left alone once again.

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"Makoto, when did you meet Nagisa?" Haru asked, getting up from the table to go and prepare something to eat.

"Oh, the second day since I arrived… just a few days ago, actually. He's been here a lot more, though. He told me he's being with Rei for about five months. It looks to me that they really love each other" he answered, getting up too in order to help Haru.

They didn't talk much as they cooked, feeling completely comfortable without needing to speak. It had been like that before, Makoto remembered. Even when they were little kids, Haru had always been the quiet type of person, and he'd gotten used to it. He didn't really need his friend to speak up, either, since he observed Haruka so intently he could almost always guess what was on his mind.

He hadn't known just how useful it would end up being, his ability to read Haru, but he was truly happy to have it, it certainly made things easier.

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**[EDIT: This is an edited/ corrected reupload of the chapter. If you'd read it before, you can just ignore it, unless you wish to read a not-so-full-of-mistakes chapter.]**


	10. Chapter 10: Rei

**So, this chapter took me a long long time to publish. I hope you still want to read it!**

**Here it is.**

**Disclaimer: only the story is mine, the original characters and everything else belong to their respective owners.**

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**Chapter 10: Rei**

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The light that entered the room through the window woke Haruka up. He was alone in the room, lying in a bed that looked huge without Makoto in it. Where had he gone? Still groggy, Haru got up and looked around, even searching in the bathroom.

His reflection surprised him, for a second, and he woke up enough to remember. Ah, Makoto had started working. Surely, he'd gotten up first and left without making too much noise so he wouldn't wake up. That Makoto…

Why would he leave just like that? Without waking him, without letting him know he was going. Without saying goodbye… Slightly irritated, Haru undressed and got in the bath.

Laying in the warm water was becoming a habit of his, as was tracing the contour of the tiny scar on his lower abdomen. It felt funny under his fingers and it reminded him of the price he'd have to pay for living so comfortably.

Yeah, there wouldn't be tainted ones around and he didn't have to worry about their mutant children, but was it worth it? Ah, but he had Makoto now. If having Makoto was part of the deal, then it was definitely worth it.

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After breakfast, just when he was beginning to wonder what he was supposed to do all day long in order to entertain himself, the doorbell rang.

"Haru-chan, good morning!" said Nagisa as soon as Haru opened the door.

There was a man behind the blond and Haru could just assume it was his partner. What was his name, again? Makoto'd said it, but he'd forgotten already. Rin?

"Good morning, Nagisa" he said, moving aside so the two visitors could enter.

"Haru-chan, this is Rei, my husband. Rei, this is Haru-chan, Makoto's partner. Remember I told you about them?"

So, Rei it was. Yeah, now he remembered… of course, Nagisa'd had to say it first.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Haru-chan-san" said the other. It made Haru frown, for a reason.

"Haru is fine by itself. Also, you could call me Nanase" he said, though he interrupted his words. Now that he was with Makoto, could he keep calling himself with his family name?

"But Haru-chan, Mako-chan would become sad if you went and used your other name. Maybe we'll call you Tachiba-"

"Haru is fine, after all" he said, interrupting Nagisa. It was still too soon to get used to being Tachibana. Haruka Tachibana… No longer Nanase, eh. Just how much of who he was would he have to lose in that place?

"Mm-hmm, did we choose a bad time to come?" asked Rei, snapping Haruka out of his thoughts. He kind of thanked the distraction, thinking about those kind of things wouldn't help anyone.

"No, it's fine. I was thinking about making a cake. Nagisa, would you like to help?"

"Yes, yes, I wanna help Haru-chan!" Nagisa replied, jumping a little as he said so. He really did look like a puppy, just like Makoto'd said.  
That made Haruka smile a little and so, he went in the kitchen so he could hide it.

.

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"Woah! This is very delicious, right Rei-chan?" said Nagisa, eating the cake with a happy face that made Haru glad he'd made it. It was worth it, seeing Nagisa so happy.

"Yes, it is. It reminds me so much of the cake my mom used to make! Ah, those where good times" he said, and the mood in the room changes immediately.

He was talking about his ´past life´. Life outside the Eden was a taboo subject, because everyone had a sad story to tell and lost ones to miss.

"Ah, sorry. I shouldn't have brought up the subject. It's just, I've been living in here for so long that I tend to forget this is a hard topic" he said. His expression matched his apologetic tone, but Haru wasn't really paying attention to that. Just how long had Rei been there? How long did it take for a person to get used to living there? How long until he could talk like Rei too, as if his past was normal?

"How long?" he spurted out without thinking. "Ah, sorry…"

"It's okay. I've been living here for about nine years. I arrived with my mother and father, he is a scientist and, thus, was brought here so he could help with the research of the illness. They worked hard, but they didn't manage to find a cure, or even an explanation, before my mother died. After that, it was just my father and I here, but I still remember her cakes. She couldn't cook normal food, but she used to make great sweets." He finished talking with a smile on his face; smile that Haru couldn't return.

So, there were people that had been living there the whole time. Unlike him, who'd lived outside with what little of his family was left until they died too. Unlike Makoto, who'd been alone all the time.

So, Rei had lived in the Eden since the beginning. What about Nagisa? As soon as the question popped in his head, he turned to look at said boy.

"Nagisa, where you here from the beginning as well?" he asked, unable to stop himself.

"Ah, yeah I was…" he said, looking away from Haru. It was more than evident that he didn't really want to talk about his past. Still, Haru was starting to think of a lot of questions to ask.

"Haruka-san, I will answer any question you have, so please feel free to ask me. However, I think we have been too much of a burden for you today. I have to go to work right now and Nagisa has a shift to cover as well, so we have to say goodbye for now" he said, standing up after saying the last words.

"Uh? Ah, yeah. Thank you for coming" was all he could say in reply.

Haru accompanied them to the door and watched them leave. Now, he had more questions than he'd ever had. When would he see Rei again? He needed to have the opportunity to ask at least some of his questions. He needed answers.

How was the Eden? How was it like to grow up there? Did he get to choose his school? What about his career? Did he get to choose his partner or did they force someone on him? What would become of a child that was born there? Would his children be played with the same way they'd played with him? If he had a boy, would they ever make him bear children, too?

He needed to know all that. He needed to know that any child he had could be happy there. If not, how could he ever force himself to have children destined to suffer? He wouldn't do it, not even if it meant a warm bath whenever he wanted.

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**So, here it is. **

**It's not too long and it might feel different from the others, but my writing style changed a bit since the last time. I'm trying to keep these similar. I hope I managed!**

**Did you like it? What would you like to see next? **

**Also, remember chapter eight's ´sex scene´? Well, I did write it. You can find it as a different story named "The Blessed Ones 18 moments". I'll post all ´ecchi´ related stuff over there. That story is, of course, M rated, so please only view it if you're old enough!**

**またね！**


	11. Chapter 11: Rin

**Okay, seeing as many of you wish to know more about SouRin, I decided to write this. **

**Disclaimer: only the story is mine. The characters and everything else belong to their respective owners.**

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** Chapter 11: Rin**

Only three kilometres from the shore… didn't he swim that distance daily? Wasn't his dad the greatest swimmer there'd been in Iwatobi? He'd won contests, he'd planned to go to the Olympics. He'd died in a boat, along with other fisherman. A huge storm took his dad's life and then, just a few years later, hell broke loose and an unidentified illness almost wiped humanity from the earth just like a wave erases words written in sand.

Still, there was hope, wasn't it?

.

"Mom, I'm scared" his fingers held tightly onto fabric as he clung to his mother. A roaring thunder followed his statement. His grip tightened and new tears rolled down his cheeks.

The sound of heavy rain only intensified as it hit the tin roof of their shelter. It was a tiny warehouse with just enough room to fit a couch, a table with two chairs and a battered cooler.

Rin sat right next to his mom, if not on top of her, on the couch. Gou was close by, too. He could hear her sobs, though he couldn't really see her when his face was buried in his mother's clothes.

"Shh, don't cry, don't cry. You'll be alright, mommy is here. Rin, Gou, it's okay. I know that thunders can be scary, but they can't harm you. It's just the sound of the clouds fighting" his mother said. Her hand stroked his hair, soothing him slightly.

She _was_ there, after all. He needed her so much, even if he now was twelve years old.

His tears finally stopped, though his sobs kept going until, at last, he fell asleep.

.

Morning came quick, and with it came a beautiful silence that announced the storm was over. He ran outside. It was amazing to see a blue sky with not a single cloud in view.

"It's a nice day. I bet you we can catch tons of fish, mom!" he said, running back inside.

She answered with a smile and then bent down to take a fishnet from underneath the couch.

Fishing was their thing. They'd being doing it since the very beginning, when Iwatobi became a ghost town and they found themselves completely alone.

Unlike others, they didn't really have the possibility of going to the Eden. He was old enough to understand, and oh how he wished he didn't. Mom wasn't allowed inside that place; she was ill, after all, and though it would kill her they still didn't want her.

Well, if mom wouldn't go, he wouldn't either. He was the man in the family now, after all. His mother and sister needed him… even if he cried from time to time.

"Here, Rin, you take the net and I'll help Gou. We'll need to swim to that island over there" his mother said. So, yeah, they needed him, even if it was just for the fish. He was, after all, the best swimmer of his family after his dad.

.

.

"I'm back." He went all the way to the cooler and placed the three fish he'd caught there. He did it out of habit, mostly, since, because they had no ice, the cooler did little to prevent the fish to rot.

Gou, who was currently lighting up the fire, looked up at him and smiled. She'd grown a lot. Well, they both had, but it was only when he looked at her that he noticed that time had truly gone by. No longer was she a small child, but a young lady who was beginning to look more and more like their mother. Their mother…

"Gou, where is mom?" She was nowhere to be seen. He turned his head from side to side, trying not to look as desperate as he felt. Gou seemed to enjoy mocking him now and then for 'being 17 and still clinging to mamma' and he didn't wish to give her yet another opportunity.

"She's making salt in the back, since we have little left. Onii-chan…"

"Ahhhhhhh!"

The scream made them jump to their feet. Rin didn't get to hear what Gou was going to say. The situation only worsened.

.

As he ran to the back of their shelter, towards his mother's screams, he noticed three black figures rushing towards them, guns held high, aimed at them.

Still, the yell was all he could hear. It pierced through his ears and into his brain as a spear. His body tensed in response, ready to fight. He'd take down anything that harmed his mother… and then he reached her.

She laid on her back on the ground, over a pool of dark red fluid that seemed to ooze from her body. On top of her was a child. No, not a child. Rin's foot made contact with the creature's head and it went flying against the wall of their shelter. The tiny thing bared it's little, sharp teeth and hissed at him.

It stood up. Its height had to be similar to a four-year-old kid, and its frame didn't look so far from that, either. Still, it was totally different. A mutt. A child of a tainted one. A beast with just enough 'human' in it to be even scarier.

Its head turned from Rin back to the woman on the ground. That made the read-head watch her, as well.

Her eyes were wide open in fear, her bloodied hands held her neck tightly and her mouth opened repeatedly as she gasped for air.

The creature laughed. A childish sound that sent chills down Rin's spine and made him turn towards it again. Blood dripped from its mouth and it licked its lips. It pounced again towards the woman, Rin prepared to kick it, a gunshot was heard.

The tiny thing fell to the floor. The hole on its chest began to bleed. Then silence.

The mutt wasn't breathing. Rin wasn't breathing. His mother wasn't breathing. Time stopped.

.

"Raise your hands where we can see them."

The yell that broke the silence restarted time. Tears began flowing down his cheeks even before Rin truly registered what had happened.

"We won't hurt you. We were after the mutt."

He heard the words. They were closer to him now, but what did it matter? Mom was dead.

"_Do you think they're immunes? Maybe we should call the reapers, have them test the kids…"_

Rin stood there, looking at the body of his mother. Her eyes where still open, but it was obvious she could no longer see.

_"__You call 'em, Joe. Now, you reckon we should sedate 'em? You know, to hold 'em 'til the reapers arrive?"_

Sedate? That did it. Taking his eyes away from his mother, Rin ran over to Gou, grabbing her by the arm. They had to run, they had to escape those men. They wanted to sedate them!

"Hey, stop! Hey, kids, seriously, we ain't gonna harm you! Shit. Shoot 'em the sedants!"

Stop? As if! He only ran faster, pulling Gou with him. Then, he felt a sharp pain on his right leg. He fell to the floor. Gou's screaming voice was the last thing he heard…

.

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"Rin!" Someone called his name, but he didn't listen.

Gou was screaming… no, it wasn't his sister. It was a male screaming. The sound was loud, as if whoever was making it was right in front of him.

His eyes shoot open, and only then did he realize the scream came from him.

"Rin!" He listened now, and his head turn to see Sousuke next to him.

"Sou—" He couldn't finish the word. His eyes shut again and tears flowed from them and down his cheeks. He felt warmth surround him as Sousuke's larger body held his close.

"Shh, don't cry. You'll be alright, Rin. It's okay, I'm here. Did you have bad dreams? It's okay, they can't harm you." Sousuke's words only made him cry harder; they were so similar to those of his mother. He was even stroking his hair just like she used to do.

Why? Why was that guy so good to him? Why was he so impossible to hate?

He could hate everything on that place. The people, the fact they didn't let him see his sister, the rules that'd force him to have children and the scientists that'd made that possible in the first way. He could hate the Hunters that had found him and the Reapers that had taken him there. He could hate everyone, every single person running that fucked up place, but he could not bring himself to hate Sousuke. He couldn't even make himself dislike the feeling of his body embraced by the other male, nor the warmth that he emanated.

.

"Those nightmares are getting worse; don't you think? Yesterday, you even had them while napping and you ended up running away and bumping into our neighbour."

Sousuke'd waited until he was done crying before talking. He was still holding him close, and his hand kept caressing Rin's hair, but now that Rin's sobs didn't fill the room, it seemed awfully quiet.

"It was his fault. He is too much of a giant, just like you. I don't know why you had to be so unnecessarily tall"

"Unnecessarily… Ah, but it can come in handy. Besides, if that Makoto is so big, then how come you didn't see him?"

"I saw him, but there just wasn't a way I could avoid his giant body!"

Sousuke only laughed at that. Somehow, the atmosphere had changed. Even though His dream was still fresh in his memory, Rin couldn't really feel immersed into it anymore.

It was his past, but even though he'd just relieved it in a nightmare, it couldn't feel farther away when he was lying in bed, wrapped in Sousuke's arms.

.

Yeah, Rin couldn't bring himself to hate Sousuke. In fact, he wasn't sure he'd be able to avoid falling in love with him either.

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**So, that was it. Did you like it? **

**.**

**I'll try and clear any doubt that might have come up with this:**

**-The accident where Rin's father (as well as the "grandpa" that played with Makoto) died happened a few years before the Illness.**

**-Rin's Mother was a tainted one, while both him and Gou were immune. **

**-Rin was around twelve when his mother comforted him during the storm. **

**-Fast forwarding to when he is seventeen: it is seen that he is the one who fishes. Actually, he used to swim a lot in order to place his traps and such, so he is an amazing swimmer. He was caught at this age.**

**-The mutts are finally showed, though Makoto kinda mentioned them in the first chapter. **

**.**

**Now, on to some of the terms used at the Eden:**

**-The Vigilant: the name of the organisation running the Eden.**

**-The Eden: the place where all of the immune ones where taken. It's supposed to be a 'safe heaven' kinda thing.**

**-Blessed ones: immunes. **

**-Tainted ones: sick people whose cells mutated because of the illness.**

**-Mutts: children of tainted ones. The mutation from their parents resulted in inhuman creatures. Some are more human-like than others, but they're all mostly dangerous.**

**-Reapers: workers of the Vigilant who go out and look for immunes.**

**-Hunters: workers of the Vigilant who go out and exterminate mutts.**

**-Match-makers: workers of the Vigilant in charge of examining every immune one and pairing them. They are trained in psychology.**

***This are in no way the only workers of the Vigilant, but I guessed scientists, doctors, surgeons, dentists, social workers, firefighters, policemen, architects and others like that didn't need a definition. Still, if other 'weird' terms find their way into this story, I'll make sure to give them a definition in a similar fashion to this. **

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**If you liked this chapter, review and tell me your opinion.**

**Pretty please?**


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